ACTA President Takes Shot at University for Failing to Steer $60M Gift Away from Baseball Stadium

Binghamton University’s sports facilities in Vestal (NY) will be transformed with a $60 million anonymous gift that will create a new Baseball Stadium Complex for the Bearcats.  Read more here.  View renderings here.  Of course, there always has to be one critic in the house.  Read more here.  While we get where Michael Poliakoff, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, is coming from, this scolding is unwarranted:

New Royals Owner Talks New Downtown Ballpark

While cautioning it’s early in the game, John Sherman, the new owner of the Kansas City Royals, has no problem talking up the economic benefits of downtown baseball and says he’s already being lobbied on possible sites.  Read more here.

Talks Resume Between City and Team Over Coliseum Site

Talks between the City of Oakland and the Oakland A’s over a new ballpark resumed Wednesday, but without any agreement by the City to drop its lawsuit aimed at blocking the team from buying Alameda County’s half-share of the Coliseum site.  Read more here.

Latest Construction Photos of Wichita Ballpark

Work on the new stadium in Wichita (KS) progresses, as construction crews are now under six months from the home opener for the Wichita Triple-A baseball team that will play in the Pacific Coast League.  Opening Day is April 14.  View 32 photos here.

Kannapolis Downtown Redevelopment Underway

As part of a $300-million downtown redevelopment plan, a new ballpark is being built for the Kannapolis Intimidators (Single-A, South Atlantic League).  Still to come are hundreds of apartments, shops, offices and a hotel. Read more here.

Hearing on Boise Ballpark Development Delayed

At the developer’s request, the city of Boise (ID) will not schedule decision-making hearings on a Downtown Boise stadium project until the developer submits a more detailed proposal along with an application to rezone the property.  Read more here.

A’s Float Gondola System to Transport Fans to Games

The Oakland A’s are exploring using a gondola ski lift to transport fans from downtown to the Port of Oakland’s Howard Terminal, where the team is thinking of building a new ballpark.  Read more here and here.

Senate Passes PawSox Ballpark Legislation, House Up to Bat

The Rhode Island Senate on Tuesday easily passed legislation for a new Pawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A, International League) stadium, sending the bill to the House, where it has a more uncertain future.  Read more here.

Amarillo Council Set to Vote Today on Contract with Ballpark Builder

The Amarillo (TX) City Council on Friday will consider clearing the way for construction to start on a new $45.5 million baseball stadium, which is set to host the relocating San Antonio Missions (Double-A, Texas League) starting in 2019.  Read more here.

Wichita in Discussions with Affiliated Team, Mayor Hopes to Announce After Winter Meetings

Mayor Jeff Longwell announced on Thursday that the city is in discussions to bring an affiliated minor league baseball team to Wichita (KS).  The Mayor says he believes they’ll be able to announce a new affiliated baseball team in Wichita after the Baseball Winter Meetings.  Read more here.

Commission Gives High Point Authority to Issue Bonds to Build New Ballpark

The General Assembly’s Joint Legislative Government Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to let the High Point (NC) borrow up to $38 million to build a multiuse stadium downtown that would host an Atlantic League (International League) franchise.  Read more here.

Finance Committee to Report Thursday on Proposed PawSox Ballpark, Governor Backs Worcester

The Rhode Island Senate Finance Committee will convene this Thursday, Dec. 7, to issue its final report and bring forward revised legislation on a proposed new baseball stadium in downtown Pawtucket.  Read more here.  Meanwhile, Massachusetts Gov. Charles D. Baker Jr. told Worcester business leaders that the state would support relocating the PawSox to Worcester.  Read more here.

The A’s Ballpark Plan

Short of fancy renderings and sleek fly-through videos, the Oakland A’s have something much more important when it comes to building a new ballpark: a plan.  Baseball America takes a look at the A’s road map to do the project right.  Read more here.

County Official: Rays’ $150 Million Contribution Won’t Be Enough for New Ballpark

Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill said Thursday that it will take more than $150 million from the Tampa Bay Rays to build a ballpark in Ybor City.  Read more here.

Muncie Exploring Building Baseball Stadium

The city of Muncie (IN) is looking into the possibility of transforming a property that used to house a Chevrolet factory into a baseball stadium.  An unnamed, third party is the perspective developer.  Read more here and here.

Boise State Picks Location for Ballpark

Boise State plans to build a ballpark for its added baseball program north of the intersection of Beacon Street and Grant Avenue.  The university announced late last month it was withdrawing from the effort to build a Downtown Boise baseball stadium that would house the Boise Hawks (Single-A, Northwest League).  That effort continues without the Broncos.  Read more and view location here.

A’s Choose Ballpark Design Team

They don’t yet own the land, but the Oakland A’s now have their design lineup to start the planning efforts on how to fit a ballpark between Lake Merritt and an elevated freeway.  Read more here.

Getting to New A’s New Ballpark Will Offer New Experience

Oakland A’s and city officials foresee fans mostly taking transit to games and making the experience more of a field trip — with dinner, drinks and entertainment before and after.  Fewer people would be climbing into cars and rolling down the freeway to attend a game, then heading straight home afterward.  Read more here.

Poll Shows Strong Support for Downtown A’s Ballpark

Oakland (CA) voters support a new downtown ballpark next to Laney College by a 2-1 margin, according to a poll to be released Wednesday morning.  Read more here.

ABC HQ Relocation Could Free Up Land for New Squirrels Park

A state agency is recommending that the ABC headquarters and distribution warehouse be moved from its existing home across the road from The Diamond, which would free up its 20-acre property for a potential new home for the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Double-A, Eastern League).  Read more and view aerial here.

Taiwan Team to Help Nicaragua Open New Stadium

Taiwan’s national baseball team will be heading to Nicaragua on Tuesday for a three-game-exhibition series to celebrate the opening of the country’s new national baseball stadium.  Read more here.  View renderings gallery here.

Kaval Shares Vision for New A’s Ballpark

The president of the Oakland A’s said he envisions a ballpark that would open to Lake Merritt, the Tribune Tower and the Oakland hills — a picture-perfect postcard of the city’s best features.  Read more here.

Vote Delayed on High Point Ballpark Project

Guilford County (NC) commissioners put off for 60 to 90 days a decision about helping High Point pay for a $30 million baseball stadium. Commissioners said Thursday that they will use the time to form a “working group” with High Point leaders to determine whether to go along with the project.  Read more here.

Public Hearing Tonight for High Point Ballpark Proposal

Guilford County (NC) residents will get another chance tonight to voice their questions and concerns about the plan for a baseball stadium in downtown High Point.  Read more and view renderings here.

Ballpark Could Anchor New Chattanooga Development

An early blueprint of the South Broad District’s future unveiled Thursday includes a multi-use minor league baseball park anchoring an array of housing and new retail and green space.  Read more here.

Oakland A’s Choose Laney Site for New Ballpark

The Oakland A’s have settled on land near Laney College as their preferred spot for a 35,000-seat, privately financed ballpark to replace the Coliseum, team officials said Tuesday.  Read more here.

And the New Ballpark Beat Goes on in Richmond…

Virginia Commonwealth University and the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Double-A, Eastern League) agreed last September to a nonbinding memorandum of understanding, expressing mutual interest in exploration of the feasibility of a new ballpark for one year.  Read more here.

Naming Rights Details Coming Today for Rangers’ New Home

The Texas Rangers’ new $1 billion retractable roof ballpark won’t be ready until 2020, but the team is ready to give it a name.  The team has scheduled a press conference for 11 a.m. Thursday to give out details about the naming rights for the new ballpark.  Read more here.

Jackson County (MI) Moving Forward with Fairgrounds Development without Ballpark

A naming rights partnership for the proposed Frontier League (Independent Professional) baseball stadium and team was expected to be announced at the Tuesday, Aug. 8 Board of Commissioners study session before the deal fell apart.  While it could resurface, the county is moving forward with redesigning the fairgrounds without a stadium in the middle.  Read more here.

A’s Launch Ballpark Website and Survey

The Oakland A’s have introduced the latest phase in their ballpark quest, the launch of a website dedicated to the ballpark hunt itself and an exhaustive online survey where fans can share what features they would like in a new venue.  Read more here.

Refinancing Cowboys Stadium Debt Will Help Fund New Rangers Ballpark

The city of Arlington has formalized a plan to refinance its AT&T Stadium debt to help pay for the city’s half of the new $1 billion retractable-roof stadium for the Texas Rangers.  Read more here.

A’s Narrowing Search for Ballpark Site

The A’s search for a new home in Oakland has narrowed to three locations, but the team appears to have strong interest in a 13-acre site near downtown that is now the headquarters of the Peralta Community College District.  Read more and view aerial photo here.

The A’s ‘Will’ Announce Ballpark Site this Year

It appears the Oakland Athletics have plans for a new stadium.  A’s president Dave Kaval said in March that a ballpark site announcement was on schedule for 2017.  But on Friday, the A’s more confidently tweeted “a ballpark site in Oakland will be announced later this year.”  Read more and see tweet here.

UK Breaks Ground on New Ballpark

The University of Kentucky Athletics Department officially broke ground on the construction of a new baseball stadium on Thursday.  Construction is expected to take 18-20 months, meaning the stadium will open in late fall 2018 in time for the 2019 UK baseball season.  Read more and view aerial rendering here.

Wichita Focuses on New Ballpark To Dos, Potential Groundbreaking Early 2018

There are, as Wichita (KS) Mayor Jeff Longwell puts it, “plenty of checks and balances” that must occur before ground breaks on a new baseball stadium downtown.  There are also endpoints to each of those checks that make the project increasingly realistic.  Read more here.

Land Purchase in the Works for New Boise Ballpark

The managing partner of the Boise Hawks (Single-A, Northwest League) ownership group is poised to buy 11 acres in Downtown Boise (ID), part of which he would donate to the city for the construction of a 5,000-seat, multisport stadium and event center.  Read more and view location photos here.

Poll: Arlington Voters Split Over Subsidizing New Ballpark

Despite warnings from city officials that the Texas Rangers could leave town unless the team’s owners get help to build a new ballpark, the latest poll shows Arlington voters are evenly split on spending taxpayer dollars to subsidize construction of a $1 billion, retractable-roof stadium.  Read more here.

Proposed Savage (MN) Recreation Plan Includes Ballpark

At the work session, Savage (MN) Parks and Recreation Manager Greg Boatman said the most significant difference between the various plans is a proposed new entrance off of Connelly Parkway on the southwest end of the park. A full-size baseball stadium is included in all of the concepts.  According to Boatman:

“This is a full-size, 400-feet to center field baseball field with all the accompanying amenities, grandstand, dugouts, the whole kit and caboodle.”

If built, the ballpark could be home to a town baseball team as well as high school games and tournaments.  Read more here.  View aerial rendering here.

New Gastonia Ballpark Plans On the Mound

Gastonia (NC) leaders have spent more than two years crafting a plan for a new entertainment and sports district just west of downtown, which could be anchored by a multi-purpose baseball stadium.  Now they are finally on the mound and firing their first formal pitch to residents.  Read more here.

A Look at Boston College’s Ballpark Plans

Boston College has reportedly started the process of reviewing plans for proposed new baseball and softball stadiums with the Boston Redevelopment Authority.  This is part of BC’s multi-phased facilities enhancement plan.  Read more here.  Review the Boston College Brighton Athletic Fields development proposal here.